NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

A rainbow crosses the clouds above the crowds gathering in Ballina, Co. Mayo, ahead of tonight's public address by US President Joe Biden. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews / RollingNews

• US president Joe Biden is wrapping up his week in Ireland with a visit to Ballina, Co Mayo. You can keep up with all here.
• He broke down in tears after an emotional unplanned meeting with a priest who gave the last rites to his son. 
• There were harrowing scenes of grief as the first of the teenagers to die in the Bank Holiday crash in Galway was laid to rest.
• Mark Sheehan, lead guitarist with The Script, passed away after a brief illness.
• The case of a man accused of interfering with air navigation by flying a drone too close to Dublin Airport will go before a judge and jury in a higher court if he contests the case.
• Property prices increased by 5% in the 12 months to February, although it taken place a slow rate across the past two years.
• An easily-led teenager was spared a custodial sentence and placed on supervised probation for 15 months over a pursuit in a stolen car in Dublin. 

INTERNATIONAL

Flares were let off after the judgment in France today to approve key elements of the president's pension reforms. Lewis Joly / AP Lewis Joly / AP / AP

#FRANCE A key French court examining the constitution approved the major elements of President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular pension reform. 

#LEAK A 21-year-old national guardsman is due to appear in court today after he was arrested on suspicion of leaking a trove of sensitive US government secrets.

#BAKHMUT Russia has said it cut off Ukrainian forces inside Bakhmut, while Kyiv insisted supply lines were still open into the town, the scene of the most brutal battle of the war.

#CORONATION Most British people are not interested in King Charles’ coronation, though many said they would still watch it or take part in related festivities, according to a YouGov poll.

PARTING SHOT

The Citizens’ Assembly has become a favoured way of dealing with knotty and contested issues over the past decade. Random members of the public are gathered to study and discuss issues, from the Eighth Amendment’s block on abortion to Ireland’s biodiversity policy. 

The latest iteration gets underway tomorrow with the country’s drugs policy set to be examined, but a number of addiction doctors and cannabis campaigners have expressed concern at how the Assembly, which will be chaired by ex-HSE boss Paul Reid, has gone about its early work. You can read the full report here.

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